Not a good first attempt with pulled pork


 
I really like Kevins last sentence. Experiment is key. If you try something that did not work out, try something else. Just watch the meat later in the cook and when it gets tender, take it off the smoker and enjoy. Butts are too tough at 180 for sure. I check mine in the low 190s for tenderness and I have let them go way beyond that and people still love it. Im anal about it and hardly ever praise my food but I do know that too tender is better than too tough.
 
If you are unsure and want to speed the time up and you are only cooking one but, I would cook it this way. (this isn't about getting traditional, or perfect butt, its about having something that's tasty and edible at the end)

1. After you have seasoned it (either immediatly or overnight) place the butt in a disposable aluminum pan.

2. Put butt on the smoker this way and let it smoke for a few hours until it gets to 160. This way you still get the nice smokey flavor. Yes even if the but has aluminum on the bottom the smoke will find its way to the meat.

3. Once it gets to 160, put a piece of foil over the meat and seal it around the aluminum pan. If you want you can add a bit of water, but not too much.

4. Cook it this way until it gets to 195-200 or so and the meat pulls apart easily. If there is a bone in there, it should fall right out, if not try to pull the meat away. (I it pulls easily you are done. This is fork tender, push the fork in the meat in several spots so you can see what it feels like for the next cook)

5. Take it off the smoker and let it rest for an hour.

6. Pull the pork.

The benefit of doing it this way is that you will still get the smoke flavor, and the chances of you ruining the butt or missing the sweet spot are reduced. This is super important for super bowl parties...

You will have soft bark, and it may not be the best down home pulled pork made, but it will be good enough. And I am sure your friends will thank you for it.
 
Joel, Like everyone here it is all a learning curve. The pork that I have done I always take mine off the heat at 175 which is around 10 to 14 hr mark depending on size and get it wrapped and insulated into a cool box where it will climb in temp on it's own accord to the mid 180's even 188 which is more than enough for a juicy pork. I am not saying to under cook it but it doesn't have to read 180 for hours. The internal heat when the pork rests will continue to cook it for at least a couple of hours. Can easily rest it for six to eight hours in a cool box and serve it up when everything else is ready.
Good luck next time,
 
Thanks guys! Ok, so let's get down to more details. Superbowl starts at 3:30pm Sunday afternoon right?

If I'm trying out the foil method for my second time cooking pulled pork, what time would be the best time to put the butt on the smoker (WSM already loaded and fired up)in order for for people to start eating by 3-3:30pm? Keep in mind that I would still like for the butt to rest at least no less than 1 hour. I would let it rest for about 3-4 hours personally.

Any tips so I won't have to cook it in the wee early morning (between 12am-6am?).
 
Joel, haven't we already discussed this? Maybe another thread. I would allow 1.5hrs/lb foil or not. Probably be done in less time but who knows. Add in your hold time and you got your start time.

Now relax! Have a good game day feed!!!!!!

Mark
 
oh woops...i think i just confused you guys. I wanted to cook the butt in the cooker first for sometime, and then foil the butt and let it sit in the cooker again for the remainder of the cook. if a butt cooks faster in foil, would it normally take about 8 hours? 4 in cook without foil and 4 in cook wrapped tightly in foil?
 
Covered upthread already.

Time depends on actual cooktemps, butt sizes and point of foiling.
 
Joel, put the butts on as soon as you wake up. Whatever time that is... If you are cooking a lot of meat that day, i would get up at 6am.

Jay
 
Originally posted by JHunter:
Joel, put the butts on as soon as you wake up. Whatever time that is... If you are cooking a lot of meat that day, i would get up at 6am.

Jay
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That might work, but try to be prepared for surprises (what else do you have planned -- wings?). Yesterday I did a 9 lb. Boston Butt (yes, this is for the Super Bowl too). Put it on at just after 8:00am planning to have a sandwich at about 6 or 7 (worked the last two times). Water in the cooker and temp at 225 -230 all day. No where near temp at 6:00pm! or 7 or 8 or 9... It finally got to 190* at midnight. I had to add half a chimney of lit charcoal about 9 and also another gallon and a half of water.

Pieces off the surface were awesome, but by that time I had to just let it rest and then put it in the fridge (early morning already planned for today).

All I'm saying is that if you really want pulled pork at 3:30, you need to at least consider that the butt may not cooperate.

So what was different about this one? First, it was a good size. Second, I think this one was a lot less fatty than most I've done. Beyond that, I think it was just stubborn!

Rich
 
Water in the cooker and temp at 225 -230 all day.
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You can simply cook 25-35? higher and shorten the time, 50? higher to shorten more. If pressed for time you can foil, raising the temp even higher if you wish. After foiling, you can return to the cooker or just put it in the oven in the house.
 
Well if you really want to shorten the time...

When its time to foil take the butt off and put the foiled butt in the oven at 325. Makes me sick to do it, but I will when I have to... (I have a wife and 3 kids so I don't always have the luxury of time, I have to just "git 'r done").

Jay
 
Yeah, I considered these options -- after all, I was at 340 and headed north
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. But this time it wasn't a big deal and I really kept thinking it was close to finishing.

And the butt was really fine. As it looked beforehand, it had remarkably little fat (considering that it's a Boston butt) and the meat quality is exceptional (a Boston butt, right?). It was a real joy to pull. And even more to eat!

Rich
 
I have hickory, apple, and oak at home...all fist size pieces. how many pieces of which wood would be enough for a nice light tastey smokey flavor and not a heavy smokey taste?
 
Originally posted by Joel Oliva:
Thanks guys! Ok, so let's get down to more details. Superbowl starts at 3:30pm Sunday afternoon right?
Click to expand...

Joel, just in case you haven't found the answer to this already, it starts at 6:30pm (Eastern time). If you're on the West coast, then yeah, 3:30!

Hope your Q turns out fantastic this time and please post pics if you can!
 
I DID IT!!!! WOO HOO!!!! HOLY SMOKE MACHINE!! It turned out PERFECT!!! Super moist! Had a nice smoke ring to it, flavor was awesome!! Thanks to the video and all your help that was posted on here, I was able to judge when it was "Done"! Just for me to pull it from the cooker onto a foil to rest, the whole thing was falling appart. After it rested for 4 hours I was able to remove the bone off using 1 finger...it was that moist and juicey!.

Everyone LOVED it!! Second attempt at pulled pork = PERFECT!!!! Thanks to all of you!!!! I've moved a step up to becoming like you all!
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WOO HOO!!! We even had to warm it up in the microwave later last night because we had extras and it was still juicey! Man...I was excited!!! Yea..i know...for pork??? Yea for pork!!! Pulled moisty juicey smoked pork that is!!!
 
Joel, ya done a GREAT job! Great thing about cookin and BBQ is you get that chance to be really excited every time you cook another one. And when you get so good at Pork you have 100 other choices. YIPEEEEE for you.

Mark
 
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